A Comparative Study on Depression, Anxiety, Stress, and Psychological Wellbeing Among Orphan and Non-Orphan Adolescents

Background: Orphans, other vulnerable children, and adolescents living in institutions are more susceptible to developing behavioral and emotional problems because they lack the love and care of a family. The current study intends to investigate stress, anxiety, and depression in orphans living in the chosen orphanages in Mysuru, Karnataka. Methodology: Descriptive research methods were implemented in this research. A total of 200 adolescents made up the representative sample, including 100 orphans and 100 non-orphans. The data were taken from numerous orphanages and schools located in the city of Mysore. The samples were chosen using purposive sampling techniques. The level of depression, anxiety, and psychological well-being among orphans was examined using a standardized interview schedule. A structured interview schedule that includes socio-demographic factors, stress, depression, and anxiety as well as the Ryff psychological well-being questionnaire were the instruments used for data collection. The analysis of data was done using version SPSS, 24.00. Results: The majority of respondents (100%) belonged to 14-18 years of age, and most of the orphans had severe and extremely severe depression anxiety, and stress compared to non-orphans. And there is a significant difference between study variables among the orphan and non-orphan groups. Conclusion: While compared to non-orphans, orphan adolescents have a high level of Depression anxiety, and stress and a low level of psychological well-being. So, there is a need to provide intervention for orphans to improve their psychological well-being

Sexual Addiction Disorder— A Review With Recent Updates

Sexual addiction, hypersexuality, sexual compulsivity, and sexual impulsivity are all terms that describe a psychological disorder that is characterized by a person’s inability to control his or her sexual behavior. This spectrum of symptoms are often referred to as sexual addiction disorder. Whether excessive sexual behavior should be regarded as an addiction, or a compulsion, or an impulse control disorder is arguable, as each label indicates a specific etiological model and treatment plan. Sexual addiction disorder has been largely ignored by the clinicians, although it causes significant emotional and behavioral problems among the patients. Fortunately, in the recent years, this disorder is gaining recognition, and attempts have been made to understand it through research. The present article aims to systematically review and summarize the recent understanding and research on phenomenology, clinical characteristics, etiology, assessment, and management of sexual addiction disorder. </jats:p

Mental Health, Stigma, Resilience, and Mental Health Literacy among Schoolteachers: A Cross-sectional Survey from South India

Introduction: The mental well-being of teachers profoundly influences educational quality and directly impacts the mental health of students. Recognizing the challenges faced by schoolteachers is crucial for policymakers to address these issues. Objective: The objective of this study is to investigate Indian schoolteachers’ mental health, aiming to uncover issues such as stigma, resilience, and mental health literacy. Methods: This cross-sectional study employed an online survey method, incorporating demographic information, Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale, Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, Reported and Intended Behaviour Scale, and Mental Health Literacy Questionnaire. Google Form survey was disseminated through e-mail to teachers across 65 schools. The study targeted full-time teachers aged between 25 and 50 years, with at least 3 years of experience. Results: Among the 404 completed surveys, a significant majority (59.4%) of teachers demonstrated elevated scores, signaling a need for diagnostic evaluation for anxiety and depression, with 37.4% experiencing comorbid symptoms, and 30.7% reporting elevated stress levels. Teachers with anxiety and depression symptomatology had significantly lower hardiness (t = 3.616, P ≤ 0.001), coping (t = 2.946, P = 0.003), optimism (t = 2.156, P = 0.032), emotion regulation (t = 3.133, P = 0.002), self-efficacy (t = 5.042, P ≤ 0.001), and total resilience scores (t = 3.213, P = 0.001). Despite the majority reporting no personal experience with mental health issues, a substantial number expressed neutrality toward living (42.8%), working (36.1%), or residing nearby (37.6%) with individuals with mental health problems. However, 34.9% slightly disagreed with maintaining relationships with friends facing mental health challenges. While teachers exhibited above-average knowledge of mental health problems and related skills, they also displayed higher levels of erroneous beliefs or stereotypes. Conclusion: These results provide preliminary, data-based insights into the mental health, resilience, stigma, and mental health literacy of schoolteachers in India. The findings underscore the need for targeted programs to empower teachers as effective gatekeepers of child and adolescent mental health

The Impact of Idiopathic Generalized Epilepsy on Executive Functions

Background: Idiopathic generalized epilepsy is defined as seizures with a possible hereditary predisposition without an underlying cause or structural pathology. Assessment of executive dysfunction in idiopathic generalized epilepsies based on standard Indian battery is not available in the literature. Aims and Objectives: To assess specific executive functions affected in patients with idiopathic epilepsy and their association with various variables. Materials and Methods: Type of observational cross-sectional study, where clinical profile of all idiopathic epilepsy patients attending the neurology OPD was studied and their executive higher mental functions were assessed using the NIMHANS battery. Results: A total of 75 idiopathic generalized epilepsy patients were included in the study. Executive functions that were commonly found abnormal in our study were word fluency ( P ≤ .001), category fluency ( P &lt; .001), verbal n-back ( P &lt; .001), Tower of London ( p &lt; 0.01), and Stroop test ( P &lt; 0.01). Executive functions showed a significant correlation with age at symptom onset, duration of epilepsy, and in those with uncontrolled seizures. Conclusion: Patients of idiopathic generalized epilepsy according to the present study were found to have significant executive dysfunction in multiple domains. This necessitates the screening for executive dysfunctions, which if detected should prompt the clinician to initiate cognitive retraining. </jats:p